Blood donor campaign ends on a positive note in Ha Noi

Over three thousand volunteers donated more than 2,600 units of blood during the final stage of the Red Journey blood drive in Ha Noi on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo Duong Ngoc

HA NOI (VNS) — Over three thousand volunteers donated more than 2,600 units of blood during the final stage of the Red Journey blood drive in Ha Noi on Saturday.

The campaign has been through 22 provinces and cities since the beginning of July.

"The journey has gone far beyond our expectation. It has drawn the health sector and society together," said the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion's director, Nguyen Anh Tri.

During the journey, 120 volunteers travelled through 22 provinces and cities nationwide to collect blood and promote blood donations and raise community awareness of thalassaemia – a genetic blood disorder that can lead to heart failure and liver problems.

"I just passed the national high school exam this month. Many donors have given me the strength to help me realise my dreams," said Nguyen The Thai Son, a thalassemia patient who has needed blood transfusions all of his life.

This year, the drive visited Ly Son Island in Quang Ngai Province to help locals build a blood bank.

Last year, the health sector collected more than 1 million units of blood, 90 per cent of which came from voluntary donors, while 10 per cent was collected from people who sold their blood for money.

The sector has set a target to collect 1.1 million units of blood from voluntary donors in 2015, accounting for 60 per cent of the country's demand. — VNS